This jellyfish is Benthocodon hyalinus and is found in the water column throughout the Pacific Ocean, from the Arctic Ocean to Antarctica. This specimen was collected by the Global Explorer ROV. Click image for credit and larger view.

August 2, 2016

Heidi Michelle Mendoza-Islas
Volunteer University of Alaska Fairbanks

I am very passionate about jellyfish, and for a long time I have been wondering if there are jellies in the poles. If so, how do they survive? Looking for answers, I found a paper about remotely operated vehicle (ROV) expeditions researching jellyfish. And now here I am, on a six-week long expedition on an icebreaker.

The Beroe abyssicola is a species of comb jelly that the Global Explorer ROV collected during the expedition. Click image for credit and larger view.

My name is Heidi, I am part of the “Pelagic Team” on this Healy expedition. I like gelatinous zooplankton due to the fact that they are extraordinary animals. Despite their simple shape and aqueous consistency, they still have the ability to withstand hundreds of atmospheres of pressure, allowing them to extend their distribution even to the depths of the ocean. Gelatinous zooplankton do not have a brain, eyes, claws, or teeth. However, they are voracious predators and play an important roll in the food chain.

Our team is composed of people from different parts of the world: Japan, Australia, Canada, Taiwan, United States, and Mexico. We are researching life in the depths of the Arctic Ocean with the help of the ROV and Hydrobios multinet. Our deepest sample was from 2,000 meters under the sea surface, where we found species unknown to science. Even more exciting to me, the deeper we explore the more we find extraordinary animals with novel body shapes and life cycles.

As we view the ROV video feed in real-time on the ship, we see ctenophores projecting colored lights like space ships; siphonophores floating with hundreds of sparkling tentacles, cascading from each other; and Narchomedusae, Trachimedusae and Scyphomedusae in multiple colors and shapes.

Frequently, I am asked what it is like to work on an international team with respect to communication or decision making. For me, academic and cultural diversity enrich our team in both personal and professional ways. Different styles of work allow for a diverse set of ideas, which benefits our research. Finally, I have discovered that the universality of science is reflected in a single language, a primary objective, and a unique team.